Not alone
by Kedi
Summary: Archie discovers that he's not alone after all, and that at least some of his friends are on his side.
**Summary:** Archie discovers that he's not alone after all, and that at least some of his friends are on his side.

 **Main characters:** Archie Hopper, Ruby Lucas, Granny Lucas, with mentions of Emma Swan, Killian Jones, and the dwarfs.

 **Author's note:** This story is critical of Hook, Captain Swan and of how Emma has been changed to fit the ship, so if you're a fan of either, _**I strongly suggest you skip this story**_. If you choose to read on, do so at your own risk - and don't say I didn't warn you.

. o O o . o O o .

A strangled "excuse me" was all he said before leaving his untouched dinner to run in the direction of the restrooms. He had seemed completely fine just moments before; a bit tired, perhaps, but it was rare these days that Archie seemed completely rested... Then the bell over the door of the diner made Ruby turn, and she realised what had made the therapist bolt.

She tightened her fingers viciously around the rag she was holding, wishing she instead could tighten them around the neck of the man sauntering in after the sheriff. Rage bubbled in her at the sight of Emma smiling at that damn pirate, and when the latter caught Ruby's eye and had the audacity to _smirk_ at her, it was all Ruby could do to stop herself from acting on her daydream of strangling the life out of him. The pair approached the counter but when Emma opened her mouth to order, Ruby just threw the rag down and followed Archie, growling something about taking her break now, leaving the smirking Hook and frowning Emma to be served by someone else. Granny would probably give her an earful and a lecture about customer service, but Ruby didn't care.

She found him in the back storage room, huddled down against the far wall, arms around his knees and head down. He was shaking, but when he looked up at the sound of his name she saw that he wasn't crying like she had first feared… but the look on his face was almost enough to make her cry herself.

"Ruby." He gave her a strained smile which didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to be in here, I … I just had to get away for a bit."

And of course he hadn't been able to escape the diner completely since Emma and Hook stood between him and the front door, and the back door was locked. Ruby guessed he had considered the risk of Hook cornering him in the gents too high to stomach, and probably hadn't even thought about hiding in the ladies, which left the storage room the best - the only - place to retreat to.

Without a word Ruby closed the door and locked it securely before crossing the distance between them and lowering herself to sit on the floor next to him. He returned his attention to his knees, but at least he didn't seem to mind her presence.

"I won't let him hurt you, Archie."

"He already hurt me," Archie pointed out softly. "And still he's…"

He let out a shaky, painful sound which made Ruby shift closer and wrap her arms around his shoulder. He leaned into her and Ruby tightened her grip a little, rubbing his arm. In his hurry to get away he had left his jacket over the back of his chair in the diner, and the dress shirt didn't offer much protection against the chill of the store room, even with the added sweater vest.

"Still he's strutting around town, free as a bird," Ruby finished for him. "The smug, smarmy bastard. It's disgusting. If Emma were a guy I'd say she was thinking with the wrong head."

"I'm scared of him," Archie admitted softly. "Terrified. It doesn't help to know that he's roaming free, and that I'm very likely to run into him no matter where I go. Nowhere feels… nowhere feels safe anymore." He sighed. "But I'm also feeling desperately disappointed in Emma. And in myself, for putting her on a pedestal even though I told myself I wouldn't. I guess I thought the Saviour wouldn't…"

He shook his head, frustrated, and changed tracks. "I know Emma's not actively trying to hurt me, hurt anyone, but the fact remains that the man who willingly aided Cora, who shot Belle in the back, and who kept me tied up in the hold of his ship…"

Trailing off Archie had to take several deep breaths before he managed to continue, voice strained and low, eyes haunted. "He gleefully threatened to dissect me, Ruby."

Ruby's jaw hurt from clenching it in anger, and her dislike for Hook reached new incredible heights.

"Hook is cruel, he preys on those weaker than him," Archie continued. "He has shown no real regret for any of his crimes, yet people seem to be more than willing to forget that and take his word for it when he claims to be a changed man!" He let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob. "I believe in redemption, I do, of course I do, but… but Hook is not looking for redemption. He's not trying to change, he's not regretting any of the evils he's done, he's not really out to make amends. He just wants Emma, and he is willing to play the part as long as she's watching, but I know from several... sources that the moment she turns away he's back to his old tricks."

Ruby's stomach clenched unpleasantly. She was pretty sure "sources" in this case included patients as well as the standard run of the mill gossip. Ruby felt her stomach churn unpleasantly. It was bad enough to think about Archie hearing news about his torturer through the grapevine, but to have fellow victims come to him for therapy? To help them deal with the trauma, to guide and counsel them, without having anyone to do the same for him?

"And apparently Emma's only too willing to disregard her duties as sheriff," Archie continued wearily, "to brush aside all his crimes, and enter into an intimate relationship with him. She doesn't seem to care about the fact that he left her, her mother and two other friends in Rumplestiltskin's cage to starve to death. She doesn't seem to care that he worked with Cora to annihilate the whole town, including Emma's son and her father. She doesn't seem to care that he shot Belle in the back just because Mr. Gold loves her, or that he tortured me for information he already had. She doesn't seem to care that Hook doesn't regret _any_ of this! _That's_ -"

He stopped himself to take a deep breath before continuing more softly: "That's what hurts the most, Ruby. I thought we meant more to Emma than that. But I was wrong."

Ruby's fury coiled and roared in her chest as she tightened her hold on her friend. She wanted to rave and rant, she wanted to storm out into the diner and shake Emma by the shoulders and tell her in no uncertain terms what a _crappy_ friend she was being, and she wanted to sock that smug asshole of a pirate in the face - and that would only be the beginning.

"Thank you, Ruby."

If she hadn't known he was too sweet, too kind to wish harm upon anyone, even the man who had threatened to dissect him, Ruby might have thought Archie had read her mind and heard her fervent wishes to take revenge on his behalf.

"What for, Archie?"

"For listening," he said softly. "You're the only one who has. Thank you."

"What? I'm… I'm the only one? Not even Marco - ?"

Archie shook his head against her shoulder. "He's so relieved to have me back. I… I can't burden him with this."

"Oh, Archie..."

Some of his defences crumbled then and he let out a choked sob. Ruby shifted to tighten the hug because she had a feeling that that's what he needed, and she sure as hell didn't mind when he clung to her.

Ruby would've been happy to sit there for hours if it helped, but it didn't take long before Archie pulled back. He wiped his cheeks and didn't quite meet her gaze, looking like he wanted to apologise, but didn't. Ruby hoped it was because he saw that she didn't mind.

Ruby rose, silently holding out her hand for him to take. He hesitated only a moment before letting her help him to his feet.

"Come on," Ruby said. "Let's get you outta here. I have the keys, we'll sneak out the back door."

"But what about-"

"Hook?" She practically growled the hated name and her eyes flashed momentarily yellow, showing him that in this the two sides of her were in perfect agreement. "Let him just _try_ to come near you and it'll be the last thing he does."

Archie's mouth opened and closed without a sound, then he let out a surprised chuckle. "Actually," he said, a hint of humour in his tone. "I was thinking about your grandmother."

She sputtered out a very un-ladylike guffaw and was rewarded with a small but pleased smile from her companion. Taking his hand she pulled him toward the door.

"Come on," she repeated with a laugh. "I'll face even Granny for you!"

Just before they reached the door Archie gave her hand a little tug and she stopped and turned back to him.

"Thank you, Ruby. You're a good friend."

"I'll always be in your corner, Archie," she promised fiercely, squeezing his hand. "He might have the whole damn town fooled, but I promise you that I will most certainly not just forgive and forget that so-called 'redeemed' walking rape-joke."

He frowned faintly and opened his mouth to speak - maybe to defend the townspeople she so flippantly had maligned - but a knock on the door made them both jump. Ruby immediately turned to shield him with her body, the wolf growling in the back of her head, daring whoever it was on the other side of the still-locked door to enter.

But of course, it only took a second for the wolf to recognise the scent, and the voice that floated through the door immediately afterward was familiar to Archie as well.

"They're gone, Archie. Both of 'em," Granny called out. "Emma asked what the problem was, so I told her."

Ruby looked back over her shoulder at Archie whose relieved smile fell.

"What did you tell her?"

His voice sounded strange, like he was not quite awake and Ruby didn't like the way he had paled at Granny's addendum. He was really dreading the answer.

"I told her in no uncertain terms that there are still some of us who value friendship, loyalty, and decency over a little leather and a smarmy smile," Granny said in her no-nonsense tone. "Then I made it clear that the pirate was no longer welcome at Granny's Diner and that if I ever saw him darkening my doorstep again I would not hesitate to bring out the crossbow and aim for his sword, if you know what I mean."

Archie's mouth fell open in shocked surprise but Ruby's grin was unapologetically gleeful. She couldn't remember the last time she had been as fiercely proud of her grandmother.

"Leroy declared that he and his brothers would be more than happy to help me enforce the rule, and I swear I almost got a little worried myself when they all stood up, brandishing their pickaxes." Granny sounded far from worried; she sounded downright smug. But when she spoke again her voice was a little softer. "We want you to feel safe here, Archie. I'll tell Emma not to come back, too, if you want."

Archie didn't answer but reached past Ruby to unlock the door. Granny was looking dead serious when the door swung open.

"I mean it," she said, voice still soft but undeniably determined. "We've been friends a long time, Jiminy. Emma may be our Saviour, but that doesn't give her a free pass. Say the word and I'll ban her, too."

Ruby moved aside to let Archie step up to Granny and give her a hug.

"No, that's… that's okay," he said, voice a little unsteady. "But thank you for banning Hook. I really appreciate that." He pulled back and gave Granny a worried frown. "But what about business? This can't -"

Granny rolled her eyes and waved his words away. "Nonsense, after the curse broke business has been blooming. I can certainly afford the _loss_ ," she made air quotes and stressed the word pointedly, "of that damn pirate. Emma was always the one paying anyway."

Ruby stepped up to Archie and took his hand, smiling reassuringly when he looked down at her. He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled back.

"Dinner will be to-go, Archie," Granny said in a tone that made it clear the conversation was over. She turned and started down the hall, calling out over her shoulder without turning back: "I'll make sure there's enough for the both of you. Ruby, you're taking the rest of the day off. Make sure he gets home safely!"

Ruby gaped. The notion of her grandmother letting her off work early was so alien that she didn't quite know how to react. Archie's warm chuckle made her look up at him.

"Never ceases to amaze me, that woman," Archie said, tone teasing but sincere.

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "Sometimes she really pulls through, huh?"

She stepped in front of him, turning so she could embrace him and he accepted the hug without hesitation, rubbing soothing circles on her back. He was a great hugger, she thought to herself. He hugged like he really meant it.

"We love you, Archie," she murmured in his ear. "Emma may be the crappiest friend ever right now, but you'll always have me and Granny. And the dwarves. I bet Leroy will carry his axe around 24/7 from now on, in the hopes that Hook will give him an excuse to use it." She smiled at Archie's chuckle, both amused by the mental image so easily conjured in their minds. "You're not alone," Ruby promised.

And though he didn't say anything, he didn't move to pull back from the hug either. His cheek rested on the crown of her head and she could feel the tension slowly ease out of him.

After a long while he reluctantly pulled back, but Ruby resisted, holding on a few seconds longer before releasing him with one last tight squeeze.

"Come on," she said with a decisive nod. "Let's get your food and get outta here."

She took his hand to lead him down the hall away from the storage room.

"I'll make sure Granny includes a few cookies, too," she promised. "For dessert. The double chocolate chip ones, I know you really like those. And we'll take my car, so we're sure we won't run into Emma and Hook on the way. It's probably best if I don't meet the guy face to face right now..."

A gentle tug on her hand stopped her and made her turn around. The look of gratitude on his face made words fail her, and she felt a sharp stab of guilt. How badly had they all neglected him, taken him for granted, for Archie to be this grateful for a simple show of support?

"Thank you, Ruby."

"Any time, Archie."

This time, when she started walking Archie willingly let himself be dragged along.


End file.
